1. Field of Invention
This invention relates generally to accessory trays for use in surgery and more particularly, trays for presenting neurosurgical patties of absorbent material in a convenient arrangement for a surgeon during an operation.
2. Discussion of Prior Art
The MAYO stand is a movable stand that cantilevers a tray over the body of the patient in surgery. This tray contains all the surgical instruments required for a given surgical procedure and the space is relatively limited on its top surface. This MAYO stand and tray are covered with a sterilized paper, gauze or cloth boot to provide a sterile environment for the operation.
Neurosurgery is surgery of the central nervous system which requires very delicate tissue to be dissected, retracted and possibly removed. Pads of absorbent material called neurosurgical patties, sometimes soaked in a saline or anti-coagulant material, need to be presented to the surgeon in a convenient and secure manner. The surgeon utilizes them to absorb or retain fluids such as blood and other brain fluids that result from the dissection process. Once they absorb blood or other fluids it becomes very difficult to distinguish them from the adjacent tissues. Thus, these patties typically have long sterilized strings attached to them, the ends of which are left outside the body for easy removal of the patties after the surgical procedure is complete.
Several devices are currently, but unsatisfactorily, in use today to present such patties to the surgeon. They used to be called Cottonoid Boards, but today are referred to as neurosurgical patty boards or trays.
Some were clipped onto the surgical drape that covers the rest of the patient's body except for the surgical site, as in U.S. Pat. No. 4,793,483 to Holmes. These were held on with flat jawed alligator clips which were easily dislodged if bumped by the surgeon or the nurse, causing unwarranted delays in the surgery while new sterile patties were attained, soaked and presented.
Others were clipped or attached to the MAYO stand tray using alligator clips that were easily dislodged. Still others were clasped, latched or connected to the MAYO frame or tray in a manner that could easily tear the sterile paper boot that covers the MAYO stand or tray such as in U.S. Pat. No. 5,511,674 to Boyd et al.
Some had no grooves or channels for keeping the strings separated and others had no well for keeping the patties moist during surgery
Finally, U.S. Pat. No. 6,622,861 B2 to Kissling shows stackable trays for delivery of the patties that are adhesively adhered to the sterile cover on the top of the MAYO stand and to the empty tray or trays if multiple trays of pads are required. Their stackable nature only requires using up one tray's footprint, but they still occupy valuable space on the top surface of the covered MAYO stand.